THE WALKING DEAD NEGAN Origin Story To Lead New IMAGE+ Magazine

By Chris Arrant, Editor February 19, 2016 04:10pm ET

Credit: Charlie Adlard (Image Comics / Skybound)

Credit: Image Comics

Image Comics is launching a new advertorial-type magazine promoting its upcoming releases, and is serializing a new The Walking Dead to help raise interest in it. Beginning in May, Image+ will be a 64-page magazine distributed alongside Diamond Comics Distributors' monthly Previews catalog featuring news, interviews, previews and original comic book content.

“We’re pleased to be working with Diamond on this exciting addition to the monthly Previews catalog,” said Image publisher Eric Stephenson. “We look forward to sharing news about our upcoming titles and the creators that both entertain and inform retailers and fans alike.”

The Walking Dead story, by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard, will be serialized in four page installments in Image+'s first 12 issues and promises to uncover the origin of one of the book's most iconic antagonists, Negan.

Back in 1993, Image published a similiar book titled Image Plus, complete with caricatures of some of the company's founders by Jim Lee. That series lasted for only one issue.

The new Image+'s editorial content will be curated by the publisher's Branding Manager David Brothers, who also edits some of Image's individual books.

“Comics are exciting, and it does them and their creators a disservice to give them rote, by-the-numbers coverage. I cut my teeth on video game magazines before writing about comics professionally, and I'm excited to push that experience in a new direction alongside our Sasha Head, our Sales & Marketing Production Designer," said Brothers. "From my perspective, comics have always been cool, and this is a chance to show everyone exactly why I feel that way.”

Image+ will be included as part of the purchase of Diamond's Previews catalog beginning in May, but also available on it's own for $1.99.